| SAM-13 | |
|---|---|
| |
| Role | Twin-engined fighter |
| Manufacturer | Voronezhskoye Aktsionernoye Samolyotostroitelnoye Obshchestvo, Voronezh |
| Designer | Aleksandr Sergeevich Moskalyev |
| First flight | 1940 |
| Number built | 1 |
The Moskalyev SAM-13 (Russian: Москалев САМ-13) was a prototype twin-engined single-seat low-wing fighter built in the Soviet Union in the 1930s.
The design of the SAM-13 followed similar principles to that of the Fokker D.XXIII: to build a lightweight twin-engined fighter with benign single-engined flying characteristics. Moskalyev's design could well have been influenced directly by the D.XXIII, which had been exhibited at the 1938 Paris Salon, differing mainly in size.[1]
The SAM-13 was built largely from wood, with steel fittings in high stress areas and welded steel-tube engine mounts. It was powered by two 220 hp (160 kW) Voronezh MV-6 6-cylinder, air-cooled, inverted in-line engines mounted at the front and rear of the fuselage nacelle, driving 2-bladed, variable pitch propellers.[1]
The sharply tapered wings supported tail-booms which in turn supported the tailplane, elevators, single centrally-mounted fin and rudder. The wings also housed the retractable main undercarriage units which retracted inwards. The nose undercarriage was attached to the front engine mounting and retracted rearwards.[1]
Armament of the SAM-13 was intended to be 4x 7.62 mm (0.30 in) ShKAS machine-guns: two in the fuselage top decking firing through the propeller disc, and one at each end of the wing centre-section.[1]
First flown in 1940 by Nikolay D Fikson, the SAM-13 proved difficult to handle, requiring long runs to take off and land, with poor climb performance and low ceiling.[1]
After the first flight and subsequent tests, the poor flying qualities of the SAM-13 were being addressed when the Germans invaded during Operation Barbarossa. By Spring 1941 the SAM-13 was undergoing tests at LII, piloted by Mark L Gallai, even being entered for a summer air race. All flying ceased after the German invasion, which prompted destruction of the aircraft.[1]
Data from Soviet X-Planes[1]
General characteristics
Performance
Armament
